Officials told Hindustan Times that the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) — the planning authority for the airport — granted a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the demolition of Terminal 1A on September 24, 2025.
Terminal 1A, built in 1992, was once considered a modern facility and was the first in India to feature aerobridges. It primarily handled domestic flights of the former Indian Airlines, which later merged with Air India. Despite limited space for vehicle movement and parking, the terminal had VVIP rooms that hosted significant political meetings attended by former prime minister Manmohan Singh, former UPA president Sonia Gandhi, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A former Air India employee recalled that the terminal was "state-of-the-art for its time" and often used by dignitaries. "In 2014, when Modi was Gujarat's chief minister and launched his poll campaign in Mumbai, he received a grand welcome at Terminal 1A," the person told HT.
The terminal also served as a strategic hub during critical moments such as the 2006 Mumbai train blasts and the 26/11 terror attacks, when its meeting rooms were used to coordinate emergency responses.
Officials noted that the structure has deteriorated over time, with visible cracks in several areas.
The CSMIA has invited expressions of interest for the refurbishment of Terminal 1. However, demolition of that terminal will only take place once the next phase of the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) is completed — expected between 2029 and 2030 — to avoid disruptions in air traffic and airport capacity.
